Economic Hardship Forces a Mother of Six To Dispose Her Newly Born Baby Into a Pit

The police in Abuja have arrested, Juliana James, a mother of six, who threw her day old baby into a soakaway pit after being delivered of the child at home.

The suspect, who wept bitterly when paraded at the police headquarters last Friday, said she was forced to dispose off the child because of the economic hardship as she could not include the burden of taking care of it together with her six other children.

“Things are hard. My husband has no job. He had an accident three months ago and it affected his manhood. He is still in the hospital receiving treatment.

“I delivered at home and threw the baby in a pit because I don’t know how we are going to take care of it. I didn’t tell my husband.”

The day old baby was rescued alive after 12 hours of being inside the pit when her cry attracted neighbours who rushed it to a University Teaching Hospital for medical attention.

Addressing newsmen, Commissioner of Police Zaki Ahmed, said the case was being investigated, revealing that the baby had been handed over to social welfare officers at the hospital.